Stutzman votes for American made energy

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June 25, 2012 - 8:11am

On June 21, Congressman Marlin Stutzman issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4480, the Domestic Energy and Jobs Act.

“Our economy depends on reliable energy and right now families and small businesses are feeling the pain of high prices at the pump,” Stutzman said. “Unfortunately, the current administration has consistently pushed policies that do nothing to lower energy prices or encourage job growth. Hoosiers don’t want $3.50 a gallon to become the new normal. By passing this package of common sense solutions, we’ve put forward a bill that unleashes the untapped potential for cost-saving solutions and job growth. This nation desperately needs an all-of-the-above energy policy to get Americans back to work.”

The Domestic Energy and Jobs Act takes immediate steps to maximize the country’s potential for energy production. Currently only 3 percent of federal land is leased for oil and gas development, despite the fact that the government has jurisdiction of over two billion acres.

The Domestic Energy and Jobs Act would set firm timelines for the Secretary of the Interior to issue leases and adjudicate lease protests on federal land. It would require that, in the event the President releases oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the administration develop a plan to lease more federal land for energy exploration and production. It would further require the Secretary of the Interior to establish an all-of-the-above energy program for federal lands that incorporates all energy sources – oil, natural gas, coal and renewables.